Digital sun
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Olle Essvik’s Sunclock is a lamp that tracks the sun's movement in the sky and follows it. When the sun rises in the morning the light bulb starts with nearly no light at all, intensifying every second, shining brightest in middle of the day. After this the light begins to fade with the sun, appearing dimmest at sunset.
Now what's interesting is that the work has also an internet and a mobile phone version. The net one is coded specific for a geographical location. A yellow field moves on the computer screen, reflecting the sun movements in the sky. Of course the movement can hardly be seen. When the sun rises a yellow field starts to move. At mid-day the whole screen is yellow.
The mobile version functions like the net version, only on a phone screen. Download it. Being exposed to so many Wam bam installation you have to punch, kick, slap or stroke to interact with, i'm more and more drawn to quiet works that have a life of their own. The mobile version and the net version of the Sunclock will be exhibited at Threshold in Perth, October 2006. (via spectre mailing list) See also one of my favourite installations ever: Perpetual (tropical) Sunshine, a screen made of 300 150W infrared light bulbs that transposes the real-time state of the summer sun on the 23rd South parallel. More light bulbs: a levitating one; Touch-sensitive water lights; Talking lights; The acoustic properties of lightbulbs. |
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Personally, I want a lightbulb that does the opposite. In the middle of the day, I don't need any more light. That's what natural light is for. When it's darkest outside, that's when I need a great big ball of light inside. If I'm in a place with no natural light (ie, work), it is so ridiculously lit that this wouldn't even be noticed.
First of all I thought: what the use of a bulb in the middle of the day, but a mobile is something else.
I like the eeriness of it, depending on context. It's compelling both for a space without windows - the subway, or a basement computer lab - and in the outdoors, like the middle of a field or forest. Also reminds me of John Gerrard's Watchful Portraits: http://www.johngerrard.net/watchful/
I'm actually curious as to what "wam bam" installation you are referencing that you have to kick. I'm working on a project that involves kicking but have been having trouble initiating that process with the participant without literally saying "ok, now kick this please."
Glad to see this on We Make Money Not Art! The Sun Clock is currently tracking the solar movements for Perth, Scotland as part of the exhibition mentioned.
Here's some more context for those who are interested:
http://www.art-research-communication.net/weblog/?p=58